Sanibel School to reopen for the first time since Hurricane Milton2 Florida men arrested for assaulting law enforcement during Jan. 6 riots
SANIBEL Sanibel School to reopen for the first time since Hurricane Milton For the first time since Oct. 9, students of the Sanibel School now know when they can return for class after damage from Hurricane Milton forced them out.
2 Florida men arrested for assaulting law enforcement during Jan. 6 riots Two Florida men have been arrested for their alleged conduct during the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, both charged with assaulting law enforcement while rioting.
the weather authority Milder and sunny Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a sunny Tuesday ahead, with milder conditions expected in the afternoon.
Father arrives home from deployment; meets his baby girl A man returns home from deployment and gets to be a father. Only WINK News cameras were rolling as Peter Rosche held his baby girl Margo for the first time. It’s been a long 5-weeks for the Rosche family. Peter wasn’t able to be there for her birth because he had been on a US […]
NAPLES Spreading holiday cheer with Christmas tree lighting in Naples On Monday night, the sleigh bells were ringing in Naples, and the snow was falling; the 47th annual Christmas on Third Festival was kicking off.
Fort Myers Tip-Off brings marquee programs to SWFL The Fort Myers Tip-Off returns to Southwest Florida and brings marquee programs such as Michigan, Xavier, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
NAPLES Super 8 in Naples to become apartments for local workers A Super 8 Motel in Naples will soon look slightly different; it will become an apartment building with fully furnished units.
Endangered Florida panther killed by vehicle on SR-29 SB in Collier County; 30th death in 2024 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced the 30th Florida Panther death of 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Efforts to restore Fort Myers Beach underway The Fort Myers Beach coastline continues to feel the impacts of the recent storms. Crews working on the sand renourishment beach project have more than six miles of “Critically eroded beach” to restore.
More water headed into Caloosahatchee: What it means for our estuary Southwest Florida cringes every time the mention of releases from Lake Okeechobee comes up. There are concerns about what’s in the water and whether it will dirty our shoreline or even fuel blue-green algae blooms.
NAPLES Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier We are seeing the first major changes from a donation from Tom Golisano.
FORT MYERS BEACH “We did what we had to do” Fort Myers Beach mayor takes blame for loss of FEMA discount FEMA sent the town of Fort Myers Beach a letter explaining why they lost their flood insurance discount. One reason was not removing temporary trailers and containers from flood zones. Now, the mayor says to blame him for it.
NORTH FORT MYERS Suncoast Estates fatal shooting leaves community on edge A fatal shooting took place on Saturday at the Suncoast Estates in North Fort Myers, on Heck Drive, that left one man dead and another seriously injured.
SANIBEL Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the Year award honoree: James Evans The environment and economy are nearly synonymous in Southwest Florida, and while many people work to protect both, one man stands out and has made the environment his life’s work.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
SANIBEL Sanibel School to reopen for the first time since Hurricane Milton For the first time since Oct. 9, students of the Sanibel School now know when they can return for class after damage from Hurricane Milton forced them out.
2 Florida men arrested for assaulting law enforcement during Jan. 6 riots Two Florida men have been arrested for their alleged conduct during the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, both charged with assaulting law enforcement while rioting.
the weather authority Milder and sunny Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a sunny Tuesday ahead, with milder conditions expected in the afternoon.
Father arrives home from deployment; meets his baby girl A man returns home from deployment and gets to be a father. Only WINK News cameras were rolling as Peter Rosche held his baby girl Margo for the first time. It’s been a long 5-weeks for the Rosche family. Peter wasn’t able to be there for her birth because he had been on a US […]
NAPLES Spreading holiday cheer with Christmas tree lighting in Naples On Monday night, the sleigh bells were ringing in Naples, and the snow was falling; the 47th annual Christmas on Third Festival was kicking off.
Fort Myers Tip-Off brings marquee programs to SWFL The Fort Myers Tip-Off returns to Southwest Florida and brings marquee programs such as Michigan, Xavier, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
NAPLES Super 8 in Naples to become apartments for local workers A Super 8 Motel in Naples will soon look slightly different; it will become an apartment building with fully furnished units.
Endangered Florida panther killed by vehicle on SR-29 SB in Collier County; 30th death in 2024 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced the 30th Florida Panther death of 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Efforts to restore Fort Myers Beach underway The Fort Myers Beach coastline continues to feel the impacts of the recent storms. Crews working on the sand renourishment beach project have more than six miles of “Critically eroded beach” to restore.
More water headed into Caloosahatchee: What it means for our estuary Southwest Florida cringes every time the mention of releases from Lake Okeechobee comes up. There are concerns about what’s in the water and whether it will dirty our shoreline or even fuel blue-green algae blooms.
NAPLES Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier We are seeing the first major changes from a donation from Tom Golisano.
FORT MYERS BEACH “We did what we had to do” Fort Myers Beach mayor takes blame for loss of FEMA discount FEMA sent the town of Fort Myers Beach a letter explaining why they lost their flood insurance discount. One reason was not removing temporary trailers and containers from flood zones. Now, the mayor says to blame him for it.
NORTH FORT MYERS Suncoast Estates fatal shooting leaves community on edge A fatal shooting took place on Saturday at the Suncoast Estates in North Fort Myers, on Heck Drive, that left one man dead and another seriously injured.
SANIBEL Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the Year award honoree: James Evans The environment and economy are nearly synonymous in Southwest Florida, and while many people work to protect both, one man stands out and has made the environment his life’s work.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
Laurie Sturrup, 52. Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office The former board president of the North Fort Myers Babe Ruth League was arrested Wednesday after deputies say she stole more than $9,000 in association funds. According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, 52-year-old Laurie Sturrup was arrested after deputies received a complaint of grand theft at 2050 North Recreation Parkway in North Fort Myers. A woman who identified herself as the current secretary of the North Fort Myers Babe Ruth League, a volunteer-run nonprofit baseball organization for kids between 4 and 15, gave a sworn written statement documenting the theft of association funds by Sturrup. The secretary said that from August 2022 until January 2023, Sturrup withdrew in excess of $9,000 from the association account through ATM withdrawals, direct payments, and an individual Zelle payment. As president of the association, Sturrup had been issued a debit card for the business account, as was the vice president and treasurer. The secretary said the board has tried to obtain either the funds or receipts documenting payments for baseball association activities. On Dec. 23, Sturrup returned $6,245 in cash to the board, leaving an outstanding balance of $4,350. On Jan. 19, the association board met and removed Sturrup from her position as president. It also drafted a certified letter to Sturrup informing her of the decision and demanding that the funds or receipts for the funds be provided to the board no later than Feb. 4. The secretary told deputies that the board received no communication from Sturrup or funds or receipts. LCSO received copies of text messages and Facebook messages between Sturrup and the board concerning payments and association business, as well as Wells Fargo bank records documenting the transactions made on the business account from June 2022 to February 2023. “Really, to me, is a circumstance that demonstrates why we children need parents involved and should be involved in all aspects of our lives, especially in volunteering and youth sports,” said Chuck Phoenix, District 15 commissioner for Florida Babe Ruth Baseball. Phoenix said that missing money was supposed to help kids get on the field. “Including insurance for accidents and things like that. Uniforms, obviously, can be very expensive. Equipment, baseballs, umpire, fees, things like that. “ He believes the theft will not force kids to give up the game. He said the best defense against crimes like this is more parental involvement. “The more people you have involved in anything, the less likely there’s going to be problems. Number one, there’s a lot more people performing the tasks. And then also, they’re watching each other perform these tasks,” Phoenix said. WINK News was told that Sturrup returned more than $6,000 of the missing money. She is charged with grand theft. Due to Sturrup being the board president, she was issued a debit card for the Babe Ruth business account. Detectives say she used that card to take the league’s money illegally.